Newborn clothes - advice for a first time mum?

[jessy2018]

Hey all,
This is going to sound ridiculous but I'm starting to buy a few essentials for my baby and I don't understand what they would wear (due in April so mild/spring weather).

So far I take it to be:
Short sleeve vest + sleepsuit (so 2 layers) most of the time. However at night do I add a sleeping bag to this or add sleeping bag and take away vest?

Also - if I am putting baby in a little top and leggings outfit do I put a vest under this or nothing?

I feel stupid for asking but I've not done it before and there is so much choice in the shops !!

Thanks xx

The advice I have received for new borns are basically bodysuits and onesies/sleepsuits.

Yea to putting body suits under things although stay conscious of how hot it is outside. A lot of my friends kept their babies in bodysuits last summer because of the heat and did not put them in trousers etc if outside.

If you Google how to dress babies, there is an NHS page. I was wondering recently too as my friends have all done things differently. I've bought my newborn stuff based off NHS advice as it seems more practical. But not bought much of it as chances are they will fit in to it for a couple of weeks tops before going in 0 - 3 months.

Although you can obviously put newborns in little outfits! For the first 2 weeks or so I'm just going on practicality due to the hot summer we had last year and the fact that I'll be getting to grips with parenthood. I have bought some 0 - 3 summer bundles on eBay with nice little dresses etc x

As cute as they are, I would not spend too much on newborn outfits as they grow so fast!

It will depend upon the temperature of your house, normal of thumb is one more layer than you are wearing. Personally, with No. 3 I stuck with bodysuits and sleepsuits, a sleeping bag at night. Outfits are cute but it’s SO much easier with just bodies and sleepsuits, espially if they posset a lot, or have a poonami!!! I would also stick with 0-3 mth clothes, unless you know you’re carrying a small baby. My average 7lb (estimated) baby was 8lb 15, you can always ask someone to pick up small sizes if you really need them😀

Vests and sleepsuits should do for the first 12 weeks or so. I would always use a vest, but that's just preference.

I use(d) sleeping bags at night time. If you are worried about baby being too hot or cold you might want to think about something like a gro-egg which let's you know how warm the room is. I am quite surprised that how warm I think it is and how warm it actually is are so different!

If you use a sleepbag you don't use a sleepsuit. Just a vest. The sleepbags have different tog ratings like duvets so make sure you don't use a higher tog in summer.

I would put a vest on under top/trousers unless really hot then would just take outer layer off.

Don't buy too much new born they grow so fast.

Here's something I found really helpful with my first..

Next and Marks and Spencer do up to 1 month stuff. I bought about 9 of these as the 0-3 were mostly still far too big on my 9lb baby.

I thought general advice for newborns was an extra layer to whatever you're wearing? And I would still use a vest, sleepsuit and sleeping bag in April, unless it's unseasonably hot. Whatever you buy, make sure it's soft and comfy and not too fiddly to get tiny arms and legs into !

Yes to vest and sleepsuit most of the time. I did get some little tops and trousers, but I felt bad using them because I felt like the waistband was probably uncomfortable and digging in, even with soft trousers. I only really moved to tops and trousers at about 3 months when he started to want to feel his feet more, and even now at nearly 5 months, we tend to have lots of sleepsuit days at home. So I definitely would keep the other outfits sparing.

You might find that long sleeved vests on their own make good pyjamas under a sleeping bag over the summer although your baby might also like to sleep without any covers at all if it's warm.

I do always put a short sleeved vest under everything, it just seems comfiest for them and helps to contain the nappy.

Another one with 9lb babies who needed newborn size stuff for the first few weeks. It's also not necessarily the case you can just put them in the bigger stuff. Mine were long and skinny, and in the baggier 0 to 3 stuff they'd curl up into the foetal position by pulling their legs up our of the bodysuit legs and into the body bit. They'd then be unable to straighten their legs again as they got stuck in the fabric - cue lots of frustration.

I wouldn't buy too many sleeping bags in case you have a baby that likes swaddling - one of mine couldn't sleep without it for months.

Thanks for all your replies! Very useful.

So I'm thinking the short sleeve vests are like their underwear and then the baby grow/outfit goes over the top. Unless it's baking!

Still a bit confused about night time as our flat is quite warm - think we will have to get a room thermometer to put my mind at rest lol!

X

I'd just wait and see on sleeping bag. If your room is warm they might not want it and most can't be used right from Newborn anyway. Then just as they are growing into it there will be a heat wave. If you're going to buy stuff full price just bookmark it on an online shop, you can always get it delivered later. If you see something cheap second hand then get it just in case but you won't have wasted loads of it doesn't work out.

Ftm here to an almost 6 month old dd, I found that you kind of get to kbow your own baby and for me the one e tea layer rule doesn't really apply bevause she gets warm so quickly and then is very grumpy for it. They also say its better for a baby to be abit too cold rather than too hot as if theyre cold they will cry. If your baby gets abit chilly in the night then they will more than likely wake or be unsettled

I gave birth to an unexpectedly small baby who has only just started wearing 0-3 and is 10 weeks/12lbs. Newborn will probably fit longer than you think unless your baby is over 8lbs.

He wears a 2.5 tog bag with long sleeved bodysuit/vest in our 19 degree bedroom. I don't think you will need vest, babygro and bag in April.

My baby was 8lb 3oz and newborn clothes were huge on him

Get yourself some miniclub rompers! My DD was born in May last year and lived in them all summer!

@jessy2018 you may find this useful!

gro.co.uk/what-to-wear/